Saturday, September 12, 1998 Published at 12:55 GMTHe called her 'Sweetie'The following are excerpts from the Starr report about the emotional relationship between Monica Lewinsky and President Clinton:

Emotional attachment

"As the relationship developed over time, Ms Lewinsky grew emotionally attached to President Clinton. She testified: "I never expected to fall in love with the President. I was surprised that I did." Ms Lewinsky told him of her feelings. At times, she believed that he loved her too. They were physically affectionate: "A lot of hugging, holding hands sometimes. He always used to push the hair out of my face."

"She called him "Handsome"; on occasion, he called her "Sweetie," "Baby," or sometimes "Dear." He told her that he enjoyed talking to her -- she recalled his saying that the two of them were "emotive and full of fire," and she made him feel young. He said he wished he could spend more time with her."

Gifts d'amour

Monica Lewinsky told the Starr inquiry she gave President Clinton about 30 gifts and received 18 in return.

Gifts to the president included:

A matted poem given by her and other White House interns to commemorate "National Boss Day" in 1995

six neckties

an antique paperweight showing the White House

a silver tabletop holder for cigars or cigarettes

a pair of sunglasses, a casual shirt

a mug emblazoned "Santa Monica"

a frog figurine

a letter opener depicting a frog

several novels

a humorous book of quotations

several antique books.

Gifts received by Monica Lewinsky:

a hat pin

two brooches

a blanket

a marble bear figurine

a special edition of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass.

Ties 'close to the president's heart'

Ms Lewinsky construed it as a sign of affection when the President wore a necktie or other item of clothing she had given him. She testified: "I used to say to him that 'I like it when you wear my ties because then I know I'm close to your heart.' So -- literally and figuratively." The President was aware of her reaction, according to Ms Lewinsky, and he would sometimes wear one of the items to reassure her -- occasionally on the day they were scheduled to meet or the day after they had met in person or talked by telephone. The President would sometimes say to her, "Did you see I wore your tie the other day?"

In his grand jury testimony, the President acknowledged that he had exchanged a number of gifts with Ms Lewinsky. After their intimate relationship ended in 1997, he testified, "[S]he continued to give me gifts. And I felt that it was a right thing to do to give her gifts back.""

'Embarrassingly mushy note'

According to Ms Lewinsky, she sent the President a number of cards and letters. In some, she expressed anger that he was "not paying enough attention to me"; in others, she said she missed him; in still others, she just sent "a funny card that I saw." In early January 1998, she sent him, along with an antique book about American presidents, "[a]n embarrassing mushy note." She testified that the President never sent her any cards or notes other than formal thank-you letters.

Testifying before the grand jury, the President acknowledged having received cards and notes from Ms Lewinsky that were "somewhat intimate" and "quite affectionate," even after the intimate relationship ended.

Valentine love notice

On February 14, 1997, the Washington Post published a Valentine's Day "Love Note" that Ms Lewinsky had placed. The ad said:

HANDSOME

With love's light wings did
I o'er perch these walls
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do that dares love attempt.

- Romeo and Juliet 2:2

Happy Valentine's Day.

M

Phone sex on 15 occasions

Ms Lewinsky testified that she and the President "enjoyed talking to each other and being with each other." In her recollection, "We would tell jokes. We would talk about our childhoods. Talk about current events. I was always giving him my stupid ideas about what I thought should be done in the administration or different views on things." One of Ms Lewinsky's friends testified that, in her understanding, "[The President] would talk about his childhood and growing up, and [Ms Lewinsky] would relay stories about her childhood and growing up. I guess normal conversations that you would have with someone that you're getting to know."

The longer conversations often occurred after their sexual contact. Ms Lewinsky testified: "[W]hen I was working there [at the White House] . . . we'd start in the back [in or near the private study] and we'd talk and that was where we were physically intimate, and we'd usually end up, kind of the pillow talk of it, I guess, . . . sitting in the Oval Office . . . ." During several meetings when they were not sexually intimate, they talked in the Oval Office or in the area of the study.

On 10 to 15 occasions, she and the President had phone sex. After phone sex late one night, the President fell asleep mid-conversation.

On four occasions, the President left very brief messages on Ms Lewinsky's answering machine, though he told her that he did not like doing so because (in her recollection) he "felt it was a little unsafe." She saved his messages and played the tapes for several confidants, who said they believed that the voice was the President's.